On 25 March 1993, Barbara made history flying as first officer on a BA Concorde from London’s Heathrow to New York’s JFK airport.

Her family moved to Felpham when she was five years old, left the local school to become a hairdresser shortly after deciding to get involved within the Air industry, from controller at Gatwick to becoming a flying instructor at Goodwood Airport, Barbara then spent the next two years studying by correspondence course for her commercial pilot’s  licence, passing in 1982.

She joined British Caledonian and had her first experience of jet airliners. Four years later, Caledonian merged with British Airways and in 1992 Barbara was selected for an intensive six-month conversion course for Concorde, costing £100,000, fortunately this time paid by her employer .

Barbara’s passions didn’t stop at flying which may have come from living in Felpham overlooking the sea. She became a qualified offshore yacht master with plans to take part in a transatlantic event in 2013 with her husband. 

Sadly, in 2009 she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died at St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Chichester on 20 February 2011, aged 57.     

Blue Plaque located at Felpham Sailing Club unveiled on Internationals Women's Day 8th March 2023